Device for holding an umbrella in its standing position

ABSTRACT

A ferrule of an umbrella has a reduced projecting portion at its tip end. Fitted to the projecting portion is a rubber ring which is bonded thereto. The rubber ring serves to effectively prevent the umbrella from slipping and falling down on a floor when the umbrella is rested against a wall.

United States Patent 1 Wakabayashi July 24, 1973 DEVICE FOR HOLDING ANUMBRELLA IN ITS STANDING POSITION [75] Inventor: Kenzo Wakabayashi,

Tokyo, Japan [73] Assignee: Wakabayashi & Co., Ltd., Tokyo,

Japan [22] Filed: Oct. 20, 1971 [21] App]. No.: 190,988

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 21, 1970 Japan 45/103872[52] US. CL}; "135/20 R, 135/54, 135/64 [51]. Int. CL... A45b 9/04 [58Field of Search 135/20, 53, 54, 64,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 392,271 11/1888 Jackson135/54 2,227,113 12/1940 Talamantes 135/54 1,134,214 4/1915 1,429,4289/1922 1,319,564 10/1919 1,340,476 5/1920 D'Aquin 135/64 PrimaryExa'miner-1. Karl Bell Attorney-Woodhams, Blanchard & Flynn [57]ABSTRACT A ferrule of an umbrella has a reduced projecting portion atits tip end. Fitted to the projecting portion is a rubber ring which isbonded thereto. The rubber ring serves to effectively prevent theumbrella from slipping and falling down on a floor when the umbrella isrested against a wall.

6 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures Patented July 24, 1973 3, 747,615

2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTO ATTORN E 3 Patented July 24, 1973 3,747,615

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR BY flw 5M 9% ATTORNEYS DEVICE FOR HOLDING ANUMBRELLA IN ITS STANDING POSITION The present invention relates to adevice for holding an umbrella in its standing position when theumbrella is rested against a wall or the like.

An umbrella, after it has been used, is usually rested against a wall ofan entrance of a house or of a vehicle. In such a case if the floor iswet or it has been wetted by drops of water from the umbrella, theumbrella is liable to slip onthe floor and fall down because the ferruleof the umbrella cannot maintain sufficient friction against the floor.It is easily understood that whenever such case occurs the owner of theumbrella becomes impatient and'must take the trouble to stand it uprightagain.

The present invention is intended to overcome the above-mentionedinconvenience and it is an object of the present invention to provide adevice for holding an umbrella in its standing position only by adding asimple member to the umbrella.

The present invention will now be described in more detail withreference to a preferred embodiments of the invention illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in.

which;

. FIG. 1 is a front view of an umbrella with a device for holding theumbrella in its standing position in accordance with the presentinvention,

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a ferrule of the umbrella;

FIG. 3 is a central sectional view of the ferrule shown in FIG. 2, a

FIG. 4 is atop view of a grip of the umbrella;

.FIG. 5 is a central sectional view of the grip shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a front view of another form of ferrule; FIG. 7 is a bottomview of the ferrule shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a central sectional view of the ferrule shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a front viewof another form of grip;

FIG. 10 is a top view of the grip shown in FIG. 9; and

FIG. 11 is a central sectional view of the gripshown in FIG. 9.

Referring now to the drawings, numeral 1 represents an umbrella in itsclosed position whose ferrule 2 and grip 3 are respectively providedwith rubber rings 4 and 5 at their tip ends.

As seen from FIGS. 2 through 5, the ferrule 2 and the grip 3respectively have at their tip ends projecting portions 2a and 3a ofreduced diameter. To the projecting portions 2a and 3a are fitted therubber rings 4 and 5, respectively, so that the respective peripheries4a and 5a of the rubber rings 4 and 5 are substantially flush with therespective peripheries 2b and 3b of the ferrule 2 and grip 3 and theperipheral surfaces 2b and 3b thereof are flush with respective endsurfaces 2a, and 3a, of the projecting portions 2a and 3a. The rubberrings 4 and 5 are securely fixed by adhesive.

FIGS. 6 through 11 illustrate another embodiment of the presentinvention in which a ferrule 2' and a grip 3', which are rectangular inplan view, of a so-called flat collapsible umbrella which is collapsedto be flat, respectively have reduced projecting portions 2'a and 3awhich are also rectangular in plan view. To said projecting portions arerespectively fitted and rigidly bonded rubber rings 4' and 5'.

With the above arrangement of the present invention, the rubber ring 4provided at the tip end of the ferrule serves to maintain requisitefriction against the floor when the umbrella l is rested against thewall so that it effectively prevents the umbrella from slipping andfalling down on the floor. Also with such an arrangement the rubber ring5 provided at the grip 3 serves to maintain friction against the wall sothat it can well prevent the grip from slipping on the wall which wouldotherwise cause the umbrella fall down when the umbrella is restedagainst a corner.

As described above, according to the present invention, the tip end ofthe ferrule has a projecting portion of reduced diameter to which therubber ring is fitted and bonded. The rubber ring serves to effectivelyprevent the ferrule from slipping on the floor so that it maintains theumbrella in its standing position. The projecting portion of the ferruleserves to protect the rubber ring when the umbrella is thrust againstthe ground or the floor.

What is claimed is:

1. In an umbrella comprising a central post structure having a grip atone end thereof and a ferrule at the other end thereof, and a foldablerib and cover assembly mounted on said post structure adjacent saidferrule, the improvement which comprises: said ferrule has an innerportion and an outerportion of smaller width than said inner portion,said outer portion projecting outwardly from said inner portion; amember made of resilient friction material encircling said outer portionand attached thereto, the exposed outer peripheral surface of saidmember being of substantially the same shape and dimension as theperipheral surface of said inner portion of said ferrule so that theexposed outer peripheral surface of said member is substantially flushwith the outer peripheral surface of said inner portion of said ferruleand constitutes an extension thereof.

2. An umbrella according to claim 1, in which said inner and outerportions of said ferrule are substantially cylindrical with said outerportion being of smaller diameter than said inner portion, and saidmember is an annular rubber ring whichv is open at both its ends and issleeved on said outer portion and abuts against said inner portion, saidring having a substantially flat outer end surface which issubstantially flush with the outer end surface of said outer portion ofsaid ferrule.

3. An umbrella according to claim 1, in which said inner and outerportions of said ferrule are polygonal in plan view with the dimensionsof said outer portion being smaller than the dimensions of said innerportion, and said member is a hollow polygonal rubber ring which is openat both its ends and is sleeved on said outer portion and abuts againstsaid inner portion, said ring having a substantially flat outer endsurface which is substantially flush with the outer end surface of saidouter portion of said ferrule.

4.-An umbrella according to claim 1, in which said grip has an innerportion and an outer portion of smaller width than said inner portion,said outer portion of said grip projecting outwardly from said innerportion thereof; a second member made of resilient friction materialencircling said outer portion of said grip and attachedthereto, theexposed outer peripheral surface of said second member being ofsubstantially the same shape and dimension as the peripheral surface ofsaid inner portion of said grip so that the exposed outer peripheralsurface of said second member is sub stantially flush with the outerperipheral surface of said inner portion of said grip and constitutes anextension thereof.

5. An umbrella according to claim 4, in which said inner and outerportions of said grip are substantially cylindrical with said outerportion being of smaller diameter than said inner portion, and saidsecond membet is an annular rubber ring which is open at both its endsand is sleeved on said outer portion of said grip and abuts against saidinner portion of said grip, said second ring having a substantially flatouter end surface which is substantially flush with the outer endsurface of said outer portion of said grip.

6. An umbrella according to claim 1, in which said inner and outerportions of said grip are polygonal in plan view with the dimensions ofsaid outer portion being smaller than the dimensions of said innerportion, and said second member is a hollow polygonal rubber ring whichis open at both its ends and is sleeved on said outer portion of saidgrip and abuts against said inner portion of said grip, said second ringhaving a substantially flat outer end surface which is substantiallyflush with the outer end surface of said outer portion of said grip.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE C CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3747 615 Dated July 24, 1973 Inventcrrggp: Kenzo Wakabayashi It iscertified that error appears in the above-identified patent and thatsaid Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Col. 4, line 1; change "claim l to -claim 4--.

Signed and sealed this 18th day of December 1973.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M. FLETCHER, JR. RENE D. TEGTMEYER Attesting Officer ActingCommissioner of Patents FORM P0405!) (10-69) uscoMM-Dc so a US.GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: l9!

1. In an umbrella comprising a central post structure having a grip atone end thereof and a ferrule at the other end thereof, and a foldablerib and cover assembly mounted on said post structure adjacent saidferrule, the improvement which comprises: said ferrule has an innerportion and an outer portion of smaller width than said inner portion,said outer portion projecting outwardly from said inner portion; amember made of resilient friction material encircling said outer portionand attached thereto, the exposed outer peripheral surface of saidmember being of substantially the same shape and dimension as theperipheral surface of said inner portion of said ferrule so that theexposed outer peripheral surface of said member is substantially flushwith the outer peripheral surface of said inner portion of said ferruleand constitutes an extension thereof.
 2. An umbrella according to claim1, in which said inner and outer portions of said ferrule aresubstantially cylindrical with said outer portion being of smallerdiameter than said inner portion, and said member is an annular rubberring which is open at both its ends and is sleeved on said outer portionand abuts against said inner portion, said ring having a substantiallyflat outer end surface which is substantially flush with the outer endsurface of said outer portion of said ferrule.
 3. An umbrella accordingto claim 1, in which said inner and outer portions of said ferrule arepolygonal in plan view with the dimensions of said outer portion beingsmaller than the dimensions of said inner portion, and said member is ahollow polygonal rubber ring which is open at both its ends and issleeved on said outer portion and abuts against said inner portion, saidring having a substantially flat outer end surface which issubstantially flush with the outer end surface of said outer portion ofsaid ferrule.
 4. An umbrella according to claim 1, in which said griphas an inner portion and an outer portion of smaller width than saidinner portion, said outer portion of said grip projecting outwardly fromsaid inner portion thereof; a second member made of resilient frictionmaterial encircling said outer portion of said grip and attachedthereto, the exposed outer peripheral surface of said second memberbeing of substantially the same shape and dimension as the peripheralsurface of said inner portion of said grip so that the exposed outerperipheral surface of said second member is substantially flush with theouter peripheral surface of said inner portion of said grip andconstitutes an extension thereof.
 5. An umbrella according to claim 4,in which said inner and outer portions of said grip are substantiallycylindrical with said outer portion being of smaller diameter than saidinner portion, and said seCond member is an annular rubber ring which isopen at both its ends and is sleeved on said outer portion of said gripand abuts against said inner portion of said grip, said second ringhaving a substantially flat outer end surface which is substantiallyflush with the outer end surface of said outer portion of said grip. 6.An umbrella according to claim 1, in which said inner and outer portionsof said grip are polygonal in plan view with the dimensions of saidouter portion being smaller than the dimensions of said inner portion,and said second member is a hollow polygonal rubber ring which is openat both its ends and is sleeved on said outer portion of said grip andabuts against said inner portion of said grip, said second ring having asubstantially flat outer end surface which is substantially flush withthe outer end surface of said outer portion of said grip.